What’s mobile identity theft and how you can prevent it?

Our mobile devices is home to a large amount of personal data stored in the form of emails, web browsers, instant messages, online forms & bills, and internet banking. And, this data can be an easy target for frauds to go for identity theft or even steal your money, unless the right steps are being taken to protect it. Mobile identity theft has grown to a new height since the easy-use and introduction of apps to perform day-to-day tasks.

Apart from the high mobility and ease of use, it is crucial to keep in mind that smartphones and tablets aren’t different from the desktops or laptops. It can too be affected by spyware, viruses, malware, and hackers. Today, almost everyone owns a smartphone and uses several of the apps. These apps store our personal information like credit card details, bank account data, important passwords and other sensitive information that can be used for identity theft. The resulting breach of information can have a long-lasting and harsh consequences.

Luckily, there are several steps that you can take to ensure that the smartphone you are using is protected against mobile identity theft.

Maintain a powerful password that you use to unlock your device and access the apps, and keep changing it periodically. You can also keep an automatic lock system that locks your device is it has not been used for a specified period of time. Install a smart identity guard software, which prohibits unauthorized users from accessing your vital information.

Try not to share any sensitive information like account passwords, bank details or credit card numbers over a public Wi-Fi connection. Few simple things like booking movie seats through an open service or public Wi-Fi network can give a lead to a hacker waiting to prey on weak defenses like yours and create a fake identity. You should also carefully examine your mobile phone bills for any unexpected rise in data usage. Charges from any third-party app or content providers that you haven’t authorized should also be taken a look at. If you’ve been receiving irregular bills and deductions on your bank account, these are the small signs that someone might have hacked your phone, thus, putting you at the helm of serious identity theft.

There are many of us, who like to experiment with their mobile OS for different user experience. Where on one hand, regular updates does increase and improves your user experience, there are several hidden security enhancements that gets changed along with, leaving your prone to identity thefts. Similarly, if you’re an avid online shopper, go for secure sites. You can also ask your mobile service operator to alert you in case of any unauthorized usage of your device and apps. Apart from installing a free or paid mobile identity theft services, one effective step that you can take to ensure to stop any adverse situation is to limit your use to the services of your needs. The more the number of apps and browser information in your device, the more will be the probability of any identity theft.

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